The Love He Left Behind
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Set one year past One for the Road. Sam has decided to finally move on from the roller coaster that was his and Diane's lives together, but he finds it's not as easy as it seems. Can he really forget her that easily, even if that's what he wanted?
1. Chapter 1

It had been a year since Sam had last seen Diane, ever since she had returned to Boston with her "boyfriend" Reid, and nothing had ever been the same. Almost every day since she'd left, he'd thought of her. What was she doing, where had she been, and most importantly, who was she with? Just the very thought of her with another man had almost driven him to drink, but something had always pulled him through. He'd been tested, but his resolve to stay sober was apparently stronger than his weakness for the true love of his life. He never thought that he could imagine a day without her, but here he was, after seeing her only once in seven years, and he was better than ever. Or so he told himself.

He'd convinced himself that Norm was right, that Cheers was his true love. It made sense-everything in his life had come down to the bar which he had fought for strongly throughout his life. In the beginning, times were tough, and there were more than one occasion where he thought that he would have to shut down the bar. But he persevered, and here he was still standing. And for that he was forever grateful.

Cheers. It was more than his business; it was his home, contrary to what he'd told the gang a year ago. It was his livelihood, what defined him as a man. It used to be that his identity was based upon women, but after more than a year of a program, he'd come to see that he could not-would not- go back to who he used to be. Yes, he'd found a great amount of thrill knowing that he was a ladies' man, but after losing Diane for the second time, it was apparent that no other woman could provide the same kind of thrill that he found with Diane.

Damn it, he thought bitterly. Why does it all come down to Diane? He'd never lost his head over a woman before or after her, so what was it about her that made her so special? She was just a blonde, and blondes were a dime a dozen in his life. He'd had dozens, hundreds of blondes, some more than one at a time, and so it seemed ridiculous to him that he should still think about one. But Diane was more than just his average blonde, whether or not he realized it or was willing to admit it to himself.

So he tried the best that he could to put the pieces of his life together again. He threw himself into his work; he had more time for his friends, even though they didn't always have time for him. Everyone else had moved on. Frasier had moved to Seattle, where apparently he was kind of a big shot now. Woody was now a father for heaven's sake! Norm had been making some kind of effort with Vera, even though he still hung out at the bar quite regularly. Cliff had gotten a promotion with the post office, and seemed to be doing quite well at it, at least in his head. Rebecca was married, but she found herself appearing at the bar more often than when she had worked there. Carla was finally dating again, and after each date Sam had taken to handing her a pregnancy test. Fortunately, nothing had happened but at least she'd finally gotten over her grief over Eddie. Maybe it was true that time stood still for no one.

But who was he, really? He didn't have his baseball career anymore, and as the years went by Sam had found that his fame had dwindled, not to mention his bank account. Every once in a while someone would bring in his baseball card, and all Sam could think of was that Coach would have gotten an even bigger kick out of it than he did. Coach. Boy, he missed that guy. He liked to think that somewhere up above he was still getting dinged in the head by a stray baseball, with nothing more to show for it than bragging rights. It still hurt to have lost him so early, but life went on, and so did Sam.

But once again, it all came back to Diane. He still hadn't moved on past her. Their last visit only served to reopen old wounds, ones from which he hadn't recovered. There were probably more bad times than good ones, truth be told, but at least he had his memories. And his hair. But most of all, he had his memories. And for that, he could live with. Or so he thought.

One day at work, he had thought he'd met the perfect woman. She was a looker all right, and she had turned every head in the bar.

"Go for it, Sam. If you don't, I'll disown you," Norm laughed.

"You really think I ought to?"

"Yes. You're still young, you know. You only live once."

"Okay. I'll do it." Sam picked up the mirror and checked his reflection. Once satisfied, he turned his attention to the pretty young thing sitting across from him.

"Hey there, I haven't seen you before. Let me guess- you're new in town."

She smiled. "Why yes, I am. How did you know that?"

"Because I would certainly remember a face as pretty as that one. What can I get you?"

"I'll take a white wine please."

"Coming right up. How about my number to go along with that?"

She smiled again. "Sure. Why not?"

Sam laughed nervously. "I like your attitude."

"My name is Sam by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Diane. Nice to meet you too."

"Excuse me?" He nearly dropped the bottle of wine from his hands.

"Diane. So how about that number?"

"On second thought, I just remembered that my phone has been disconnected. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to call you."

She stared at him for a minute, then turned to walk out the door. Sam knew he would regret it if he didn't stop it, but as he had a lifetime of regrets, he figured, what was one more?

Diane. Damn it, he couldn't escape her no matter where he was. It was as if she had cast an evil spell on him, dooming him to a lifetime of loneliness, while she was probably married with a kid by now.

Why couldn't he stop thinking of her? No matter what had happened, it always came down to her, and he hated himself for it. No woman could ever take her place, he knew that, but what was the harm in trying? He hated Diane, he hated himself more for ever letting that crazy broad into his system, but it was what it was, and he was stuck trying to forget about the one person who'd provided him with more misery in a lifetime than a man deserved.

At the end of the night, after everyone had left, he pulled out his wallet and took out the lone photo of Diane that he'd still kept. It was well worn, but it was his favorite photo of her. After staring at it for what seemed like the longest time, he threw it in the trash can, never to be seen again. Tonight he was starting over, and it would be the last time he ever thought of Diane Chambers again, or at least that's what he told himself.

This was it. No more moping around, no more visualizing what she was doing, no more going mad at the thought of her dating again, no more wasting his time on a chick who'd probably moved on. No, this was the start of a whole new life, and for the first time in his life, he could hardly wait.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Before long, Sam had found himself slipping onto old habits, chasing girls, goofing off, skipping meetings. Life was good, he'd told himself; and the best part was that he hadn't even thought of _her _once. Somehow he'd managed to push all thoughts of Diane to the back of his mind, along with every other unpleasant thought that he'd had while doing what he'd vowed to give up. This was the way life was supposed to be- fun, without worry, without lectures about whether or not he was doing the right thing. Yes, life was definitely grand.

One evening at closing time, he tried to gather everyone up so they would go home for the night. Yes, he would have fun with them tomorrow, as usual, but tonight he had a hot date that he was anxious to get to, so the sooner they left, the better.

"Okay, guys, time to go. Closing time. Carla, would you mind closing up for me tonight? I have a big date, and as you know, you have to strike while the iron's hot," he grinned as he wiped down a beer mug.

"Sam, you know I would love to help you out, but a few of us thought we would stick around, you know, have a little chat with you."

"Normally I'd love that. Actually, I'm lying, but I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But seriously, are you going to close up or not?"

"Sit down. Or am I going to have to tie you down to one of the stools? Don't get me wrong, that could be fun, but tonight I think you'd better listen to me."

"Carla? What in the world has gotten into you? What's gotten into the rest of you? You all don't expect me to sit here for a lecture that I don't need! Come on now, what's wrong with all of you?"

"It's not what's wrong with us we're here to discuss," Norm added. "It's what's wrong with you."

"Me? Don't get me started on all of your shortcomings. Norm, when was the last time you paid your bill, or kissed Vera goodnight? Woody, you only lasted one term as a city councilman. What happened there, huh? Carla, how many kids do you have now, twelve?"

Everyone grew silent and stared as Sam rambled on, until he too shut his mouth. "Okay, does someone want to tell me what this is about?"

"Now that you're done roasting us, I'd be happy to oblige. Sam, you've turned into a dog," Carla started.

"Excuse me?"

"You come in here night after night bragging about your latest cheap thrill," she began.

"What's wrong with that? You used to like that about me."

"Used to is right," Cliff joined in.

"Oh God, not you too. Don't you have a date with your mother tonight?"

Everyone stared. "Hey, leave the cheap cracks to me," Carla ordered. "Yeah, it used to be cute, about twenty years ago. But now, let's face it, you're not exactly in the prime of your youth."

"And you are?"

"Hey I'm glad to let you know that I'm still in my childbearing years," Carla retorted before thinking about what she said. After making a face, she turned her attention back to Sam. "But look at you! You're trying desperately to recapture your youth in all these babes, and when you find that you haven't done so, you try again with the next pretty young thing that walks in here. That might have been fine fifteen years ago, but you're old enough to know better. You're miserable, and you're dragging us all down."

Sam stared at his friends. "I am not, I am happier than I've ever been. I have my health, I have my bar, I have my 'vette, I have my hair…"

"But you don 't have Diane," Cliff muttered.

"What did you say?"

"I said you don't have a …dime..that's it."

"I heard what you said. Is this what this is all about? You think I'm moping around over Diane Chambers?"

Everyone looked to the ground.

"I'll have you know that I've moved on! I'm happy. She's happy. We're both happy. We're just not happy together. We never were. There are reasons that I'm not with her. I could name them all, but Carla, that's your job. You hate Diane! Don't tell me you want me to get back together with her?"

"Hell no. It's just that I hate to see you throw away the best years of your life over some drug store blonde, and that's what you've been doing."

"You all are supposed to be my friends! You hated Diane and I together and now you're saying we belong together. Why can't you make up your minds?"

"Why can't you make up your mind?" Norm asked before sipping a beer.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You say you don't love Diane anymore, but ever since she left you've been more miserable than ever. You are throwing your life away. Me, I know what my lot is in life, and I've accepted it. But you, you're Mayday Malone! You have your whole life ahead of you. It just seems to me that you don't have your heart, and maybe you should do something about it."

"My heart?" Sam yelled. "My heart? What do any of you know about love anyways? Carla, you change your men faster than I change my pajamas. Norm, you neglect your wife and the way you show her you love her is to stay away from her. Cliffy, there's only one woman in the world for you, and that's your mother. And even she tries to get away from you from time to time! Woody, what do you know about love? You just got lucky and found someone who's as…"

Woody tearfully looked at his best friend. "As what?"

"As innocent as you are. I'll tell you what, the only one around here with any common sense is Frasier! Look at him. He's a radio star now, or something. He's made something of his life. We should lift a toast to him, for he's the only one brave enough to change what they don't like in their life."

"If you miss Frasier so much, why don't you go see him?" Norm challenged.

"You know what? Maybe I will. Not only would he agree with me that losing Diane was the best thing to happen to me, he'd salute me for letting her walk away! I can see us now, sitting around, trading the best of 'how Diane screwed me over' stories. In fact, I look forward to that."

"Maybe you should go to him," Carla suggested.

"Maybe I will. He'd be a lot more fun to be around than any of you, that's for sure. I'm out of here. The next time you hear from me I'll be in Seattle and having the time of my life."

With that, Sam turned around and slammed the door shut.

"Think Frasier will talk some sense into him?" Norm asked.

"I never thought I'd live to say this, and if you repeat it to him I'll kill you with my bare hands, but Frasier does seem to be the only one of us with common sense. If anyone can get through to him, it will be Frasier."

"I sure hope so, Carla." Woody spoke up, reflecting what the rest of them were feeling. Finally, they walked out, one by one, until Carla was the only one left at the bar. Looking around, she turned off the remaining light, locked the doors, and left the bar. It was a dark night for Cheers, indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Frasier Crane was just finishing up his radio show when he looked up at the window, and saw an all too familiar face staring at him. His glee at seeing his friend was apparent; he jumped up and down. After quickly wrapping up the show, he ran to the door to allow his long lost friend into the room.

"Sam? Sam Malone? Is that really you?" Frasier smiled as he opened his arms to embrace Sam.

"Yes, it would be me. How the heck are you Frase? I'd heard you had some radio show, but I had no idea you were famous."

Frasier chuckled. "Well, famous is a strong word…"

Just then across the hallway a huge sign with Frasier's picture was plastered on the wall.

"Okay, maybe famous isn't strong enough of a word," Frasier laughed.

Sam grinned. It was good to see his friend have his luck turn around. For a long time, Frasier was the only guy he knew whose life was more pitiful than his. "Does Lilith know..about all of this I mean?"

"Yes, and she can't have it. The divorce was finalized before I moved here!"

They both laughed, knowing Lilith all too well, and for a moment there was an awkward pause.

"So, tell me, Sam, how is the gang doing? What's new at Cheers?"

"Oh, you really don't want to hear about them. Same old, same old I suppose."

"Well, okay. Would you like to go somewhere where we could talk? I know the perfect hangout. Atmosphere is great, the staff is wonderful, the prices are reasonable- it's like it's the polar opposite of Cheers," Frasier teased.

"Sure, sounds great. Mind if I ride with you? I took a cab straight from the airport. I mentioned you and the guy knew right where to take me."

"Yes, celebrity has its rewards. Of course, I don't have to tell you that. You're Mayday Malone!"

"Not anymore," Sam chuckled.

.

"I beg your pardon?"

.

"Nothing. Let's go, I'm a bit famished from my flight. Those nuts they serve on board are something else. Kinda made me homesick for a minute."

"Well, I can assure you, we can do much better than beer nuts at Café Nervosa. Let's go!"

00000

After placing their orders, Sam spoke up. "This place is not too shabby."

"Yes, I traded in my beer days for a cappuccino. Although there is nothing more that my brother and I enjoy these days than a fine bottle of sherry."

"Frasier, thank God you're here," said a man who, to Sam, bore a striking resemblance to his friend. "Daphne has a date! With our server!"

"You mean Eric?"

"Yes. Exactly. We cannot allow that. He is simply not compatible with our Daphne. For one thing, he earns tips for a living. Do not expect any gratuity from this table!" he shouted over at the unsuspecting fellow.

"Don't mind him, this is my brother, Dr. Niles Crane. Niles, I'd like you to meet Sam Malone."

"Sam Malone- the Boston Sam?"

"Yes, that would be me. Nice to meet you, Dr. Crane. Boy, it's a good thing I never had to call you doc," Sam laughed at Frasier.

"Things were rather informal in Boston," Frasier explained to Niles.

"So I gather. Anyhow, Frasier, what shall we do about Daphne? This has catastrophe written all over it."

"Niles, calm down. What Daphne does is her business. You are a married man, aren't you?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Niles, will you excuse us? I'd love to stay here and help you obsess over a woman you shall never have, but I have some catching up to do. "

"Oh all right. But if there is kissing involved tonight I cannot be held responsible for my actions!" Niles muttered as he walked away.

"Sorry about that. My brother and I have gotten close since I've moved back home-too close, apparently."

"That's okay. So you do that for a living- help people with their problems?" Sam asked nervously.

"Yes. Say, Sam, is there something on your mind? I gather you came to see me for a reason, and I can't say that I know what it is."

"Actually, I did come for a reason. I would like to talk to you-boy this is difficult- about Diane."

Frasier nearly choked on his drink, than got ready to listen. This ought to be good.

-00000

"What's this about Diane? Have you heard from her? Is she doing well?" Frasier asked as he sipped his hot beverage.

"No, I haven't heard from her. In fact, she's the last person I want to hear from. I've moved on, life is good, I'm happier than ever…"

"Except?"

"How did you know there would be an except?" Sam asked, puzzled.

"I do this for a living, you know. Anyways, you were saying?"

"I'm doing great, except the gang at Cheers kind of ganged up on me. They said I wasn't a happy person. They seem to think that I'm acting out because I miss Diane. Have you heard anything so ridiculous?"

"Well, Sam, maybe there is something to their concern. You two didn't exactly part on the best of terms."

"What do I have to do to prove to everyone I'm over her?"

"Shouldn't the question be, what do you have to do to prove to yourself you're over her?"

Sam stared at Frasier for a few minutes.

"Carla called me before you arrived. She explained everything to me," Frasier explained.

"Oh geesh, I can't go anywhere these days can I? "

"No, I'm glad you're here. Remember, I have a history with Diane myself, if you recall."

"Oh yeah, that was a bigger disaster than my relationship with Diane."

"Thanks for pointing that out."

"Just saying."

"Sam," Frasier ignored him. "Let's talk about Diane for a minute. What comes to mind when I say her name?"

"Nothing good, let me tell you that."

"Why not? You've had as many good times as bad ones with her, or have you forgotten?" Frasier asked.

Sam paused for a minute. "I haven't forgotten."

"She is the love of your life, you know. A love like that only comes around once in a lifetime, as hard as you may try to forget it."

"You found love after Diane. You found Lilith."

"My point exactly. I know from personal experience that Diane Chambers isn't the easiest person to forget. She's quite remarkable in that aspect. She has this way…"

"Of getting under your skin and testing you like you've never been tested before," Sam interrupted.

"Precisely. She's the most dangerous type of woman. She lures you in with her beauty, captures your heart, walks all over it, and then leaves with a smile on her face."

"What? I don't know about all that. All I know is that it's taken me a long time to get over her, and after all this time, there are still days I don't know my own name- but I sure as hell remember hers."

Frasier smiled. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do? She's in L.A., I'm in Boston. Our ship has sailed."

"Has it?"

"I don't know. Gee, why do you doctors always answer questions with questions? I came to you for advice and I don't think I'm getting anywhere."

"There you go. You have solved your own dilemma," Frasier smiled.

"What?"

"You're not getting anywhere while you're in Boston. Maybe you should fly out to L.A., to see what happens between you and Diane. Maybe you can get her back, maybe you can't,…"

Sam laughed. Frasier ignored him.

"Don't you think you owe it to yourself to get closure of some kind? Say hello, say goodbye, say I love you or say I hate you; one way or the other you deserve to get closure on your relationship with Diane. Only then can you move on, and find the happiness that has evaded you all of these years."

Sam nodded. Go to Diane. It was that simple. For the first time in a long time, he was truly excited about something. How this would play out, he hadn't the slightest clue, but all he knew was that he was going to see Diane again, and maybe this time their love story could get the happy ending it deserved.


	4. Chapter 4

No one was more surprised to find Sam Malone at their place than Sam himself. He stood for a few minutes, taking in the view, when finally he found the courage to ring the doorbell. It took a minute, but eventually Diane answered, rendering them both speechless.

"Sam…I…what are you doing here?"

"I had to see you. I know I probably should have called first, but there were some things I wanted to say to you. May I come in?"

"Of course. Where are my manners? Can I get you something to drink? Some coffee perhaps?"

"No thank you. I'm fine."

"How have you been, Sam? It's been so long. I've been meaning to call you. How are they at Cheers?"

"Everyone's fine. Better than ever actually. Come to find out that Woody's going to be a father again. What do you say, never really pictured him as a father, eh?"

"Good for him. I hope that he and his wife are doing well and are happy."

"They are, they are. How about you? It doesn't look like you've done too badly for yourself."

"I've had a few things published. Nothing major, just a little piece here and there. I'm glad you like my home, Sam. I always wondered.."

"Wondered what?" Sam quizzed.

"Oh, this might sound silly, but I always wondered what our home might have been like. That was quite a house."

Sam wasn't going to admit to her that he had still kept it, after all those years. "Yeah. Me too. But I suppose everything happens for a reason. Look at you, you're doing great, I'm doing great, everyone's doing great. You know, Frasier told me you'd be a success."

"Frasier? I thought he moved back to Seattle, from what I've heard."

"Oh." Busted. "Yeah, I kind of just came back from there, actually."

"What were you doing in Seattle, Sam?"

"Can't a guy go out to visit one of his buddies for no reason?"

"Does that reason have anything to do with your coming to see me?" Diane asked.

"Boy, you really are something. Still always making everything about you. You're a piece of work, you know that?"

"Sam, it's a logical conclusion. Maybe you're making amends in your life. Maybe you wanted to finish unfinished business?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you," Sam conceded. "Is that a crime?"

She smiled warmly. "No. Of course not. I'm glad you're here. There's been something I've been meaning to tell you…"

"Well there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I don't know how to say this without looking like a dummy…but I have to or it's going to eat away at me for the rest of my life."

"Go ahead. I'm waiting."

"Diane, I'm still as crazy about you as ever. I know we thought it best that we parted, but ever since then, I think about you constantly. I can't go out and enjoy myself the way I used to, because the only face I see is yours. Your smile, your hair, your perfume- they are all locked up in my mind, driving me crazy. We've tried living apart, we've tried it together, and neither way worked. The only way I see it is if we're going to be miserable we might as well be miserable together. Diane what I'm asking is will you…"

Just then the doorknob was turned, allowing a strange man to enter through the doorway. "Diane! Hi, I thought I'd surprise you by coming home early. Who..who is this?"

Diane started to laugh nervously. "Steven, this is Sam Malone. Sam, this is Steven- my husband."

And with that Sam realized that he had just made a world class jerk out of himself, over Diane, once again. When would he ever learn?


	5. Chapter 5

"Your- what?" Sam stuttered as he stared at the blonde man who had just walked through Diane's doorway.

"My husband. Sam, I didn't know… I'm sorry…I should explain…" Diane said apologetically.

"No, no, nothing to explain. You're married, and I couldn't be happier for you. Congratulations you two. I hope you live a long and fulfilling life together. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the bar." With that, Sam turned his back on his one true love, and sadly made his way back to the airport.

Married? Why hadn't he thought of that? Of course she was married. She was a catch, even he knew that. And her husband- yes, Sam hated him, but even he had to admit that he could see Diane with someone like him. It wasn't fair, he thought bitterly. It should have been him living in that house, not some bonehead named Steven.

But in all honesty, he'd had his chance. He'd blown it, and he knew it. They were a couple of mismatches right from the start. Well Frasier was right about one thing. He said that Sam needed closure, and that he definitely got. It was time to make a new start for himself in Boston, one where he didn't think about Diane every time he kissed a girl. Now he could lay to rest the dream that was his relationship with Diane, and he could move on with his life. Yes, this was definitely for the best.

He landed in Boston at noon, then he finally arrived at the bar. Better to face the crowd now than never, he thought miserably.

"Norm, what do you say? Another cold one?"

"Since you offered…I hate to be rude," Norm laughed as he welcomed the drink.

"Na, not you. Not any of you guys. Have I told you how good it is to be back home?"

"N but you can tell it as you get my order ready. We've been swamped. It's like half the town of Boston heard about you disappearing and have been in here waiting for you to come back," Carla retorted. "So, how was the stick?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't make me say her name, Sam. I know that you went to see her. I also know that you're back here-alone. Are you happy now?"

Sam turned around and looked at his friends, with Woody busy pouring a drink to the chatty Cliff. Yes, his life was pretty good indeed. "Yes, Carla, I can say that I am happy."

"That's good. It wasn't the same without you."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I acted kind of like a dummy. I wasn't really myself, but things are going to be back to normal now, I can guarantee you that."

"Good. No more Diane!" Carla lifted a drink, and the rest of the gang did as well.

Sam grabbed himself a bottle of water, and lifted that also. "No more Diane."

0000

Sam was shutting down the bar for the night, when he heard a knock on the door.

.

"We're closed," he shouted.

Still the caller continued. This guy wouldn't give up, Sam thought bitterly as he went to open it to see who it was.

Much to his surprise, it was Diane…and she wasn't alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam couldn't have been more shocked if he had wanted to be, which he really didn't need much prodding in this case. The sight of Diane with a small infant in her arms was the last thing he'd ever imagined seeing in his bar. Feeling slightly hazy, he grabbed onto one of the bar stools for support.

"Hello, Sam," Diane smiled as she entered the building. "Are you..are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, just a little batter's daze, left over from my days of playing ball."

"But you haven't played ball in over…"

"Yes, well, you never know when it will strike. Happened to Coach all the time. What brings you to Boston?"

"As you can see, I haven't traveled alone, and I thought it was time for the two of you to meet. Sam, meet Nathaniel Chambers. He's my…"

"Nephew?"

"No, Sam. He's my son. I know this comes as a huge surprise, but I suppose I feel guilty for keeping the two of you apart for so long. After your last visit, I must confess I was unprepared for this occasion, but seeing you once again confirmed my suspicions that this day should take place sooner rather than later."

"Where's your husband, Diane?"

"Oh, Steven? Well I simply told him that I had to go. You see, I'm not the only one who knew this day would come."

"What day? What's so special about today? You're driving me crazy, you know that?"

"Sam, Nathaniel is three months old. You can do math, can't you? As long as you can add and subtract from your fingers and toes?"

"Why are you here, Diane? What do you want from me? Do you expect me to believe that this is my kid? After all we've been apart for a year."

"And Nathaniel is three months old," she reiterated. "Steven and I have only been married for two."

"But what about your husband? Where does he fit into all of this? God, why is this happening to me?"

"It's always about you, isn't it Sam? That's why we never could make a lasting relationship work. For once in your life, this isn't about you. This is about our son and what is best for him. Or is that too complex of an idea for you?"

"Our son?"

Diane smiled. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I don't know…I might break him or something. I've never really handled kids before…"

"Relax. Just handle him as you would your mirror. Here you go," with that, Diane carefully placed the swaddled up infant in his father's arms. "See, you're a natural."

"Oh my," Sam laughed nervously. "Oh wow. Am I doing okay? I'm not gonna break him or anything, am I?"

"No, Sam. See, he likes you. Of course at this point he likes any shiny object, which would explain his fascination with your forehead. But no, you're doing just fine."

Sam smiled and started to relax. Maybe this kid thing wasn't so bad after all.

"He's really…"

"Yes, he's really yours. Yours, and mine of course. More mine than yours, but you had a hand in creating him."

"What do you want from me? Do you want child support? Because I will pay…it will just take me some time to get some money together."

"I don't care about your money. I care about you and what is best for our son. "

"Damn it Diane! Oops, sorry little guy," he whispered to Nathaniel. "Why do you do this? You always show up just when I think I've gotten over you and have gotten my life together. Why can't you make things simple?"

"Do you really want simple, or do you want worthwhile? Because, to put it in a way that you might understand, the ball's in your court. What we do from here on out depends on you, what you want from life."

"I want to be a part of his life. I want to be…It doesn't matter what I want. You're married for goodness' sake!"

"I'm only married if I want to be," she replied, to which Sam found himself with no answer.

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The other day I just posted my 40****th**** Cheers story. The Cheers fanverse is small but loyal, or so I've found out, and I would like to thank you for your continued support.**

"So he's mine?" Sam grinned as he struggled to hold the wiggling infant.

"All yours," Diane smiled.

"What about your husband? Does he know?"

"He knows all about you. In fact it was he who sent me here."

Now the surprises kept piling on. "He did?"

"Yes. He told me that for better or worse, you had a right to know, and that he wouldn't be able to continue to live a lie."

He thought about that for a minute. "So what's the lie? You mean about this little guy?"

"No. I think he means about you and I."

"What about you and I? You made it perfectly clear that your place was in L.A. We discussed that, you know, the last time you were here."

"Yes, but obviously things have changed. I've changed. I'm not the same Diane Chambers you once knew."

"Boy, two miracles in one day," he laughed before focusing on his son. "Hey there little guy. I'm the one who's going to teach you to play ball one of these days. Who knows? We might have a Hall of Famer right here, Diane."

"I thought you might say that. He does have a Red Sox pennant in his room."

"He does?"

"Full of questions today, aren't we Sam? I know that I should have told you about him sooner, it's just that I wasn't sure how you would react."

"Are you kidding? I'm a daddy." He looked at Nathaniel. "I'm a daddy. It is okay if I tell him that, right?"

"Of course. Who am I to stop you?"

"What does this all mean?"

"It means that your life has just taken a decisively different turn than what you were expecting. The game's changed, Sam. Everything's changed."

"We have a son. How did," he stopped to regain his composure. "How did we ever do something that turned out so perfectly?"

"Like you said, miracles happened," she smiled warmly at him.

"Boy wait till I tell the guys. They'll never believe this! And Carla…ooh boy. She's gonna flip when she finds out. I can tell them, can't I?"

"The self-assured stud of the century has turned to a pile of mush at the sight of a child. Oh, the guys are going to love this all right. And Carla..well, let's not think about her right now."

"Are you back? I mean, are you back to stay? I don't want to waste another minute of this little guy's life. I mean, I've missed out on so much. I don't want to miss anything else, Diane."

"And you won't have to. I'm back. We can work out the rest later. Right now we should be going. Nathaniel, please, Sam?"

"You can stay at my place. I don't have a crib or anything but we can run out and get one. Let's go right now!"

"No, thank you. I have a playpen for him at the hotel. I'll bring him back tomorrow, and then we can talk then. Good night, Sam."

He hugged his son, then handed him reluctantly to Diane. "Good night. And Diane…"

She turned to look at him before she left.

"Thank you."

She smiled knowingly before turning to head out the door. Maybe Boston wasn't so bad, after all.

TBC


End file.
